Boiler charging apparatus for fireless locomotive terminals



B. P. PHELPS Sept. 19, 1933.

BOILER GHARGING APPARATUS FOR FIRELESS LOCOMOTIVE TERMINALS Filed June26, 1930 jaa/6701211:

wswmsm WQWSQQ mm N Patented Sept. 19,` l1933 UNITED STA Foa-HRE- v LESSvLoooMo'rrvn-'rlnnynrmns v BartonrP.' Phelps, Topeka, Kans., assig'norto n Railway Engineering Equipment Company,i a 'n Chicago, Ill., acorporation of Illinois Y Y a a i v ApplicationJune 26, 1930.` SerialYNo. `llffkllf Y o'oiaimsl (o1. lez-str This invention constitutes animprovement in Y apparatus for charging the boilers of locomotives iniireless locomotive terminals, which improvementv consists indevelopingin a 'storage reservoir, by the mingling of steam and waterfrom extraneous sources, a supply of wateratsteaming temperaturesufficient in volume to charge one or more locomotives and utilizingthis storage reservoir as the source from which to supply to suchlocomotives Water at steaming temperature', and leaving to the localstationary boilers the duty of supplying only the steam vneeded toelevatey the steam pressure in the locomotives if required, or tomaintain a working steam pressure in these locomotives while standing inthe terminal With- 'out the aid of re on the locomotive grates.

An important advantage ofthis improvement in its bearing upon theso-called ldirect steaming system and its application to relesslocomotive engine houses, is that it 'compensates for certain practicallimitations in steam generating capacity of the 'stationaryrboilersrequired for the operation of such systems, and particularly systems'designed for locomotive terminals which are of small capacity withrespect tothe number of looomotives they are capable of accommodating.

Experience shows that to iill and develop-a' working steam pressure in.the boiler of an average size locomotive by means of the direct steamingsystem within `the time ordinarily allotted for the restoration oi sucha locomotive to a Working steamed condition,v necessitates anextraneousv steam source capable of a sustained supply of vhigh ipressure steam at the' rate of two hundred or more boiler horsepower perhour, whereas an` extraneous or stationary source capable ofsupplyingsteam at the rate of only about twenty' horsepower per hour is requiredto hold lthe same locomotive under working pressure once awork- Y ingcondition of steam and water has been established in the locomotiveboiler. Experience also shows `that ina small locomotive' terminall theiilling and steaming operation need ordinarily be practiced onlyintermittently and at irregular intervals; and even in large locomotivevterminals Ywhere extraneous boiler v,capacity must be suicient toenable the filling and steaming of va num-Y ber'of locomotives'simultaneously when occasion arises, such occasions are followed byperiods during which steam alone is required, and then only in quantitysufhcient to compensate for heat losses in maintaining working steamedcondition while the locomotives are being ,held for assignment to duty.Thus, the operating conditions in tireless locomotive terminals involveahighly fluctuating load upon the stationary boilers employed as anextraneous source of steam; land these fluctuating lconditions aredisadv'antageousV in thatthe peak load on vthe boilerspulls down thefires and imposes too long a period in therecovery TES PATENTorties-ltilvaj y V of theboil'er 'toa point whereit is ready to. serve -radditional locomotives', besides otherwise impairing the efciencyofthestationary boilers.- .Moreover, thev demandl for attention' in operatingsuch i boilers is greatly increased, and-it becomes neces-V sary 'toinstall stationaryf'lboilers of much'higher 1 capacity thanlrwouldrequired'y toservicefthe.

same number of locomotives ifthepe'al 'steam of time.

'load couldfbe reducedandmthedenandon the I boilers couldbefdistrib'uted over a :greater periodr aforesaid operating conditions`and disadvantages by'providing a boiler changer from` which Vtherequired numberofAv locomotive yboilers may ybe charged jwithifwater.vat steaming temperature in the A requisite short timel and atV 4repeatedL 'intervals,` so that 'thel charger constitutesi ther immediateextraneous sourceV of :water a'tfsteaming the fireless locomotiveterminal, and having this .charger connected with lthe sta- 'Y boilerswhich fsupply the steam for heatl .ing filling water to' steamingyternperature infsuch temperature intionary a mannerfthat theircharger,"QutilizesIV periods l of relative `inactivity of "the,`stationary "boilers for? iss building'fup*temperature initsown,."supp1y1off Water to steaminglftemperature, and thusreducesftoasmore'or lessconstant'lbadfupoirthe'v Y boilers, over Vaprotracted' period, what formerly` amounted Vto a series of over-loadsupon the boil-'- ersV in .excess f theircapacity of efiicientconment,the invention'fpermit's converting an existstationary boilers intoaiireless..terminal, since ltinuous' operation.v Because of:thisrac'complish-e' 1 alstationar'y'. boiler having a capacity thatwouldbe vtoo 'small to meet the peak demand while servicinglocomotivesdirectly, can, by serving the A charger at a rate which 4theboilerfcanzwell sus'- tainover a'longrperiodfof timegbuildup andmaintain a Vvolume.l of waterA at steaming temperature that will `enableit to charge. oneor more Y locomotive boilers with Ywater. atV steaming.temf perature fin the short; time -requiredgwithout adversely affectingthe l stationary :boiler as the source lof steamwhich has broughtsuchwater to suchtemperature; and the inventionserveswith advantageevenlin locomotive terminals of relatively largeistationaryboilenequipment forthe reason'thatwhilejin manyl instances it vhashere-1 toforefbeen found possible *to satisfactorily aad-H Ajustoperating conditions in amannerto effect morevuniform demandupongtheirlstationary,boilers, these conditions could not` heretoforevalways be so adjusted'and even where such ,adjustments can -be `made,much better g operating conditions can be established by the usefof thelboiler" chargen l:

Hence,V the'inventionfis'of importance to large j and `smallterminals-alike. s

)The presentninventionis, not tobeA confused with theeirpedientsometimesemployed in connection with steam generators and'identiedby the termaccumulators Accumulators are adjuncts of steam boilers that store upsteamA atrelatively uniform rates and deliver such steam 1 at afluctuating rate, and having a capacity which I is directly proportionalto the rangejrof delivered v 'steam pressures `at Whi'chrthey` can beoperated.v Such accumulatore are inappropriate for .use in V,rapidlycharging asteam locomotive boiler with j Water at steamingtemperatureand steam', at

" working pressure for the reason that this method of chargingrlocomotive-boilers requires` steam pressure at the locomotive almostas'high as the Working pressure carried on the stationary boil- 1ersin-those types of boiler most available for the service. MoreoveigtheexpenseY of providing accumulators of sufficient capacity to meet thedemands oflocomotives charged-in this manner would be prohibitive. Y Y y.Stationary boilers have also been provided'vvith v drums for storingandbuildingup the temperaturepof feed Water at atime when the load de-.mands on the boiler are lightythis' feed Water after being heated to atemperature corresponding to .steam at considerable'ipressure beingdrawn upon atftimes vwhen the`output load fupon the boilers hasincreasedto a point that causes the boilerpressurepto fall, and-the heatthus required to convert each pound of Water into a pound lof steam`being correspondingly reduced- Butgthis expedient-Vwould kafford norelief in situations jvidedYV With equipmentfor filling it withV amixsuch as that which is met-.by thepresent invention. .To-besuccessful; the accumulator aswell as the" storing ,drum systemdescribedmust z be fullyor nearly automatic inoperation, andv in effect-theybecomea part v=of theboiler itself and representin'factbauxiliary boilerdrums in which theLWater level can-fluctuate Without aifecting -thewater level'in'thatfpartV of the Yboilerdirectly 'exposed' to heat 'andshown in the `gauge glass. Furthermore, such' systems are expensive toconstructand their automaticfcharacter requires a f degreeof expertvsupervisionnot alwaysat; the 'command of the *railwaysV with relativelysmall po'vver-V plants at isolated terminals.

"Ihe'cl'iarger of the present invention is in. lnosense an accumulatoreither for. the storage :of heated boiler feed water, as in the case ofthe auxiliary boiler drum, or for the storage: and libev f'eration ofstean1,..as inthe casetoffthe steam Vboiler accumulator. Itis astoragecontainer profturefof" steam and hot Water to Within a. short distance.of lthe top of Vthe container, and then 'charging' Vit with steam until-a steam pressure has been built up Whichyincidentally, will correspondto the temperature of the Water, but .pri-` marily for the purpose.offmain'taining'apressure head which' Wiilinsure the rapid transfer ofthe Water at steaming temperaturezto thelocomotive f bcilerfvvhenvneeded; the Water ,beingffmada by such introduction of steam,appropriate as toY temperature for transfer to the locomotive asitsll'ing charge ina system in Which the re on the l locomotive. is notlighteduntillthe locomotive departs for its assigned'dut'y.A InA otherWords, the steam 'in the charger servesas the pressure me- Ldium'gtoinsure a rapid transfer oi'water at staan:-

ing temperature from the charger to the'locomotive. VV"'.l."l1us,'thecharger becomes the immediate extraneoussource of Water" atsteaming ten'L'pera -ture usedin reiilling a renovated locomotive afterthe manner of the direct' steaming .system,.hut

doesnot supply the' steam'fin developing theV working pressure in thelocomotive boiler; this steam comes directly `from the stationaryboilers to the locoi'i'iot'ives. Thus," While in the operation of thedirect steaming system the heaviest loads upon the stationaryboilersarey occasioned by filling vthe locomotivesvvith water atsteaming temperature-in addition to charging them with steam at Workingpressure, the presentinvention relievesv ing. a renovated locomotive toWorking steamed condition Without the use of Iire on the locomotive;Figure 2 being a detail view of a form of, bypass valve preferablyemployed in admitting a restricted quantity of steam past thecontrolling valve'to a steamed locomotive held awaiting assignment-toduty. i

l represents a stationary boiler adapted` to supply high `pressure steamthrough a pipe 2. 3 represents the ylocomotive boiler charger .ofv thepresent invention adapted to supply @Water at steaming temperaturethrough a locomotive boiler :Filling'pipe flwhich'extends pasti a stallvor stalls 5 oflocomotives that are brought into'the termi-` nal forrenovation. Adjacent to each stall 5, or

between each two'stalls as'may be desired, is a. v

manifold 6 connected pastthegcontrolling valve 7 and through the pipe 8tol the'iillingj line 4,

through which the manifold may discharge intol a .and also provided withflexibleconnection y9v locomotive occupying la stall. Y By openingvalve.

7, water atrsteaming ,temperaturevvill now from the' charger. 3y throughpipe. 4 into the locomotive under, .a pressure determined vby thepresence of,

steainover the Water level in the charger. When a working level of waterat steamingtemperature` hasf accumulated, inthe boiler of the locomotiveoccupying the stall, valve 7 is closed and steam isv causedto-otvthroughthe manifold 6 and ilex'iblepipe'` 9 intothe locomotive through thev/aterat steaming temperature'that has accumulated thereinand to thesteamY space above the level ofzsuch Water. 'lrhis steam is' receivedpast controlling valve 10 and through pipe 1l and that portionof highpressure steam pipe 2 vvhichA extends rpast the locomotive stall. Thus,steam comes vfrom the stationary boiler l'for' developing workingpressureinthe boiler of the: locomotive after the latter has receiveditsv charge oi water After the locomotive' has-been brought to workingsteamedcondition, it may be uncoupledfrom theA llingI Astation andpropelled by its own preslat steaming temperature from the charger v3.

sure, but without the` presence of viire in itsrebox, eithertoitsassigned duty or to a Waiting stations; or it may spend itsholdoveror waiting period inthe renovating stall of the terminalifzif-:the stall is not immediately needed for the renovation of otherlocomotives. lfand when the locomotive departs from :its stall directlyfor assigned duty, or` when itshoidover periodhas ended and it passesout for such duty, the`ire is'lighted on its 'grate andfrom then oncontinues to maintain operating'pressure in the boiler. If

2. throughsome'suitable-connection such as :9,

retained inthe stallor in a holdover station, it f Vcontinues to bevconnected With4 the steainpipe and the valve 10 is 'oy-passed as taughtin U. S. Patent No. 1,788,064 or cracked or opened to a. degree thatisjust sufficient to permit continuedl iiow ofsteam into the locomotiveboiler corresponding to loss oi heatv by radiation While the locomotiveis Waiting; and in this manner the ylocomotive isfheld in readiness tomove oi under "its own power Without'lighting its nre previous to thetime of departure. To avoid impairment of 'thefcontrclling valve A10 byilowing steam through a very small space between the valve and its seat,

v'the'valve may be kept closed and the slight flow of steam required forreplacement of heat loss 4may be released into thel detained locomotiveby means of a vvalve 10al (Figure 2) located ina bypass around the saidcontrolling valve 10,; said by-pass valve being larranged forconvenientopening through meansl ofv a stem 16a which, like thesternv 10 of thevalveflO, will extend to some convenientpoint of access. If the periodof holdover Vandl consequent supply of pressure sustaining steam is ofsuch long duration that j too high Water level develops in thelocomotive boiler Yfrom steam condensing therein, valve 10 is'closed andthe valve 12 is opened between mani--` Afold 6 and the standardlocomotive blowoff pipe 13l to permit Water to floW from th locomotiveboiler;r under the pressure therein, back to a filling Water reservoir14 or suchv other place ofsalvage ordiscard as may be desired.

`Inorder'to supply the charger 3 with Water at steaming temperature,itis provided with Waterlintake pipe 15 leading freni a mixing box.

16 commonly denominated da direct steaming booster. This booster isconnected by apipe 1'7` With the discharge'pipe '18 Vfrom any suitable]source of Water under a suliicient headof pressure, for instance, afilling pump 19 that draws Water through pipe 20 from the fillingYvvater reservoir 14, which is kept charged with a supply of fresh Waterin any suitable manner, such,

for instance, as by mixing raw water Vwith volatiles ',blown off fromlocomotives in accordance with standard boiler washing practice.'Booster 16 is likewise connected through pipeY 21"'With high pressure'steam pipe Zand is controlled byy valve 22. Filling Water pipe 1'7 iscontrolled byl Valve 23; and byregulating these valves 2 2 and 23'waterfrom the lling Water reservoir '114, passlingthrough pipe 15 to the'charger"3, may beV heated Yto a temperature whichy is s uicientlyabove.. the .boiling point to render thewater in .the charger suitablefor lling'locomotive boilers in accordance with the direct steamingmethod. y Having supplied the charger 3 up toa desired ,level withWater, at steaming temperature dei yterzninedby therelativeopeningsoffthe`valvesv22 Sil `and 23, valve 234 may vbe closed and valve22`l'eft open untilthere has developed'in. the charger .the desiredsteam pressure .and corresponding Waterv 'temperature Within thepermissible strength of the charger, Which steamv pressure, beingexertedover the surface of the Water, Will be suni'cient to promptly evacuateWater from the charger ".vheneveryalve 7 is opened at locomotive stall5. This'steam pressure will prefer` ably .be controlled by steampressure actuated valve 24 which communicates through pipe 25 with thesteam space of the charger 3, andthis reflects in the steam Asupply 21the pressure Withinthe charger in a manner to out off the supply ofsteam When the permissible limit of pressure has been reached; and,conversely, this pressure actuated valve 24 may automatically react tosupply more steam in heating relation to the Wav tinue te'rof charger '3and inpressure building relation to the space over such waterwheneverrequired to compensate for pressure drop due to radiationr heatlosses in said charger. Thesteam pressure within the charger 3Willpreferably by rela 1ivelyy low at the time-of 'supplying theA`charger'withhotV Water in orderl to expedite the flow .through y pipeV15 under the action offpump 19 Vandpressure from steam pipe, 2.k

In orderto maintain expelling steam 'pressurev over the surfacefof hotWaterfin chargers While its Water is being evacuated and rendersuch'ev'ac# v 1 uation rapidvto the end, an auxiliary stearn'supplyv 1pipe 26 may be introducedbetweenhigh pressure steam header Zand thecharger 3' and'provided with controlling'valve 27. VThis valve will,hovv-v ever, be opened for the admission of steam only 5 i inthe keventthat the `lofadvupon the charger is' j i such that its expellingpressure hasvdropped belovv. desired efficiency. A pressure reducing Vvalve 28" is employed in pipe 26 in orderrtoprevent overtaxingA thecharger in the event;tha't"valve 27 remainsropen too long'. c

29 represents a blow-back pipe leading from the charger 3to-the fillingWater*reservoirv 14 be drawn off from` the charger and salvagedfin casethe level becomes too high, and 30`represents conventional safetyvalves'applied to the charger. t Details shown on the drawingother-thanthose thus far described are those incidentto the no throughwhich a desiredquantity of Water may direct steamingxsysternand have vnoparticular bearing upon the present invention. For `ino' stance, 31represents the steam supplypipe for v operating the -fillingrpumpl9; 32represents'th'e exhaust pipe for such"pump;'which usuallyleads toAapoint of heat salvage to assist inraising the temperature of fillingWaterV reservoir 14, as in standard'boiler'washing practiceySSrepresents. a gate valvefrom the dischargepipe- 18; andiv represents avalved connection directly from the yfilling water discharge 'pipe 18 tothe iillin'g main Lifthrough which Water from filling Water rese'r-`l` ivoir 14 of a standard boiler washing system may be supplied directly to`locomotives "ein casev of Vemergency or disuse loftheA 'charger 3. d

The operationof this-.inventionis simple 'and averagethe `operatorproceeds to Asupply'the charger-with'amixturevof hot Water' (usuallyaround 180 FJYfro'm'fthe reservoirlfl and steamf` from the,` highpressure; steam pipe `2 by appro-,

i priate, manipulation of'- valves -22 and- 23. The Ademand for steam,hovf'ever, inVperfo/rming this. function lWill be at arate considerablyless than that ordinarily required;orsteaming locomotives by the directsteaming system Within a lim- If the high water alarm"should initedtime'. v d dicate thatthe charger is nearlyfullof Water, the operatorcloses thevalve 23and permits the valve 22 `to yremain,"open, so-thatsteamv will Cona -to4 110W- frcm thestationary' boilers into the chargeruntil-'aY-pressure'o, say, 125pounds lhas been built up therein, and;the'JWarte'r, vby reason' o f the steam flowing through it, will'have-attained a corresponding temperature. ,At

this point the pressure actuated valve 24 operates tor cut off thesupply of steam to the charger,`

the safety valves 30 being set toA operate at a ietf slightly higherpressure, andthesesafety valves Sil will act only. in the event that'thevalve 24 fails.V` YThe capacityof the charger will be suiiicient to ll anumber of locomotive boilers' before its Water level drops sufficientlylowrto opcratel the low Water-alarm, and relling of the charger can beattended to. Whenever the load demand ior'locomotive boiler chargingsteam is slack, and or course the full level of Water can be restored,in the charger .Whenever the load upon the stationary boilerisslaclrwithout Waiting untilthe lowerlirnit of Water in the charger Yis reached.

ya5 Y f 1. ln a locomotive lling and steaming sys- From the; foregoing,it. will be seen that this invention introduces anew practice in thecombined operation of the stationary power plant and nreless locomotiveterminal, and that the individual components of the equipment requiredforthis practice arevery simple. The term charger asusedV herein isintended tomean a container storing -Water' at steam- Vingtemperatureand under an expulsionY pressure derived Ventirely from heatoriginating at an extraneousfsource.

I claim: `f

tem, the combination oi a stationary boiler con- Vstr "ucted, togenerate. and to delive'i live `steam under` substantial* pressure, alocomotive boiler charger constructed to .-coniine Water at steamingtemperature and' steam at expelling pressure, a filling rWater supply,pipes leading from said stationary boiler, andnlling Water supply tosaidcharger, a mixing means into which said pipes discharge on. the Wayto the charger and ,by which they steam vandiilling.water are mixed .toraise the .waterjto steaming temperatureand accumulate steam underpressure in the charger, and a iilling Ypipe leading. from said charger'Y to al locomotive stall and having equipment adjacent said` stallwhereby it may -be connectedv to a locomotive Vboiler that is -to befilled; said steam and .-i'illing Water pipes having. means through!which they` may be` independently Vopened and closed 'at willandhthereby cause the steam supply to be continuedindependently of thewater. supply afterajdesired level Aor" water is. attained in thechargent and steam; pipe being adapted to :develop a head of expellingpressure over the Water in said charger.k

2. 1n a iocomotiveiilling and steaming-system, a stationary steamsupply, a locomotive boilerl charger constructedtor store Water atsteaming temperature and steam at expelling pressure and havingmeans-for supplying it With amixture of live steamk from thestationarysteam` supply and water lfrom an extraneous source and meanslocomotive'boiler independently ofv said charger.

A3. ln 1a locomotivenlling and steaming system, the .combination of astationary boiler,a locomotive 'boilercharg'en a filling .Water supply,pipes leading from said stationary boiler and filling vWater supplytosaid charger, a mixing means s water level descends.

into which said pipes .discharge Yon the Way to vthe charger and bywhich the steam and lling water are mixed to raise thewater to steamingY' temperature, and Ya filling pipe leading from said charger to alocomotive stall and'having .equipg ment adjacent saidI stall wherebyit'may be connected tofa locomotve boiler. that is, to be lled; saidsteam .and filling Water pipes having means. through Which they may,respectively,. be controlled, adapting the steam supply to befcont'nuedindependently of the Water supply after al and thereby developing a headof expelling pressure over the Water -in-said charger;l and said steamsupply pipe to the charger having a presdesired level of Water isattained in the charger, `r

sure actuated valve, 'governed` by the internal- 4pressure of thecharger, .adapted to automatically cut on the supply of steam when apredetermined pressure'in the-charger is attained.

fi.: In alocomotive lling. and steaming system,

the .combination oi `a stationary steam supply, a

charger, a nlling lwater supply, means for mingling steam and water fromsaid supplies and deliver- Y ing them to the charger asvvater atsteaming temperature, means for delivering Water from said charger atsteaming temperature to aY locomotive boiler, means for delivering tosaid charger steam for Vmaintaining, evacuating pressure over the Watertherein,` andmeans automatically controlled by the. pressure in saidcharger for .arresting the supply' ofsteam thereto when a desiredpressure isY attained .and resuming the supply of such steam WhenA thepressure in the charger falls-below ya desired` degree.v

5.. In a locomotive lling and `steaming system,

the combination ofa stationary boiler, a locomotive boiler charger,a.filling Water supplyi pipes leading from said stationary boiler andlilling into which said pipes discharge on. the'way to the charger andby wl'rchQthe steam and lling water are mixed to raise the Waterr tosteamingV temperature, and a lling pipe leading from said charger to alocomotive stall and having equipment adjacent said stallwhereby it maybe'connectedto a locomotive boiler that'is to'be lled; 'said chargerhaving ata point above its Water` line anrindependently controlledysteam connection with the stationary boiler throughmeans Y 125 of whicha desired constant pressure may be maintained over the Water in thecharger as the s. in a locomotive boiler suing andY steaming system, avlocomotive boiler charger constructed tostorewater at steamingtemperature and lsteam at expelling pressure, a stationary live steamsup- Water supply to said'oharger, a mixingA means l ply, a stationarywater supply, means for mingling .livesteam Vand Water from said supplyand delivering the same'as Water at `steaming temperature into saidAchargen means for *deliveringy Water at steaming temperature and undersaid' pres-r Y sure from said charger to `aflocomotive, kmeans fordelivering additional live steam to said charger for developingevacuating pressure above the Water therein, means responsive to thepressure .in the charger for automatically *openingy and closing thelast-named steam supplyA thereto. and a blow-down pipe adapted torelieve ythe chargerof excess Water accumulating from condensation ofsteam therein.

isAR'roNL RPHELPS;

